[RFC][SI][Multi-Xover] Being You is (Even More) Suffering

[Black Aeronaut]

EDIT: I decided it would be prudent to add links to the original thread:
First Page: http://drunkardswalkforums.yuku.com/top ... -Suffering
Last Page: http://drunkardswalkforums.yuku.com/top ... ng?page=16

Okay, so to kick of this new thread, what better than another installment of the story at hand? 

---

Eventually, we all decided to leave the bath en masse. As we moseyed
down Tenju's great open-air walkways, warm and lightheaded from the
steam and the sake, we all chatted amiably about anecdotes from our
various walks of life. Slowly but surely, though, the others began
to split off, going their own ways one by one, each saying their
goodbyes for the evening as they did so.Eventually, it was only
Minagi, myself, and Achika.

"...so that night, instead of being put to bed with a shot of
NyQuil, little Timmy got knocked out with a shot of bourbon liquor
instead and acquired his first taste for booze at the tender age of
ten!"

Minagi and Achika cracked up at that and I paused, pulling them
short.

"Our room is here, Achika. Will we be seeing you tomorrow?"

"You could say that," said Achika with a coy smile on her
face. "So, are you going to invite me in or what?"

That stopped me dead in my tracks.

"Well," I said at length, "that depends on what you
have in mind."

Achika sighed in disappointment, but then smiled wanly as she said,
"Well, I guess I can try being honest since it worked so well
for Tennyo. The truth is I'm still turned on because of what Minagi
said about what you guys do together... And I know she doesn't mind
the idea of company... So I was kind of hoping you wouldn't mind
tending my garden for a bit."

God I love that euphemism. Oh so smutty, yet so very subtle to the
uninitiated. You could practically encode an entire conversation of
dirty talk in polite company that way.

That aside, though... I sighed. "Achika, I do like you, but I'd
feel a little uncomfortable going that far that quickly with you. I
mean, it's not like this is going to be a one night stand where we
never see each other again."

Achika suddenly looked sheepish. "Sorry. Bad habit of mine."

I gave her a wan smile. "Let me guess: didn't even have a
chance to hit up the port when your summons came?"

She suddenly laughed despite herself. "How'd you guess?"

"I used to be in the US Navy, remember?"

"Oh right! You mentioned that..." What little energy
she'd gathered then tapered off. "Well... I guess I should head
on over to my suite."

"Hold on there," I said, placing a hand gently on her
shoulder. "I said that sex was off the table. I didn't say
that we would mind it if you stayed the night with us."

Achika then gave Minagi a surprised look. "Really? But I
thought that you two would..."

Minagi chuckled. "I already had my fun for today. Though I
admit I wouldn't mind watching, but Garrick is pretty tired after
what I put him through."

I then leaned over and stage-whispered to Achika. "Word of
warning - she may be sweet, but that woman is a monster
between the sheets. Totally insatiable."

Minagi shot me an amused scowl. "That's not true and you know
it. Otherwise..." Her grin turned absolutely bestial. "...I
would never let you leave the bedroom."

“See?" I said to Achika. "A monster!"

And then all three of us broke up into helpless giggles at that.

"Nicely played," said Achika as she got herself back
together again. "I can't believe you two have only been
together for a few months. It's like you're in each others heads!"

I shrugged. "Minagi and I..." I looked to her and she
smiled.

"Garrick is easy to read once you know the signs to watch for.
And I am more than content to let him take up the lead while I
supplement. As you noticed, it has its advantages."

"I see. That is a deceptively simple dynamic you two share. I
wonder what kind of dynamic I'll share with you, Garrick?"

I smiled back at Achika. "Let's go inside and find out."

---

We settled into the comfortably large bed that the suite had been
appointed with. Despite Minagi and I having thoroughly messed it up
earlier, it had been made up while we were away by the servants. I
made a mental note to find a way to make sure they knew their service
was appreciated.

With a round of refreshments procured, and a frosty-cold pitcher not
too far away, I asked Achika if she would mind terribly if she told
us about her life.

She gladly obliged.

She had been born in the late '50s as I would recognize it, and not
far behind her niece, Tennyo. (Though by my accounting it turns out
this was actually more like ten years, which is 'nothing' by the
Juraian perspective.)

She grew up as a normal, if gifted young girl - top marks in all her
classes, beautiful, kind, demure... a genuine nadeshiko yorishiku in
the making. However, Tennyo and Achika were two peas in a pod. Even
though they were really aunt and niece, they loved each other like
sisters. So, when Tennyo decided that she would go into space, the
secrets of the Masaki family had to be revealed to Achika fairly
early on.

Achika took it all very well, though she was somewhat embittered by
Tennyo leaving her alone, as it were. She had vowed then that she
would never break anyone's heart by saying goodbye like that, and in
order to do that she would never leave Earth - instead, she wanted to
live and die like a human.

And so, for a few more years, Achika did just that. She went to
school, studied hard, and worked towards getting into a good
university.

Of course, somewhere along the way she fell in love with a boy at her
school.

They dated for some time and it seemed like they would be getting
serious with each other... that was until the entity known
enigmatically as Kaine showed up to take revenge on the Masaki
family, starting with Achika.

It was not at all like in any of the other continuities. Achika did
not have access to some strange power of her own like in the anime.
She didn't even have the benefit of being bonded to a Royal Tree.
Achika was utterly powerless and was gravely injured in Kaine's
assault during a class trip to Tokyo Tower.

Fortunately, Tennyo, who had been bonded to a Royal Tree and
was serving in the Galaxy Police, came to her rescue and destroyed
Kaine before he could do permanent harm.

But really, the damage had been done. Achika had to convalesce for
some time in a hospital and her boyfriend broke up with her.

At this point, Achika had an about-face and decided that as soon as
she was out of high school that she would go into space. But not to
join the Galaxy Police or become bonded to a Royal Tree.

Achika went out and joined the Galaxy Army, and never looked back.

Ever since then, she had been leading a promising career in the
Galaxy Army's Hostage Rescue Team. Achika loved every minute of it -
the carefully laid plans, contingencies and counter-contingencies...
but most of all, the comfort in knowing that the people you were
taking down were most certainly bad people, and getting to be a Big
Damn Hero at the end of the day.

So, she was no longer the Japanese ideal of a perfect woman. While
she was sweet, kind, and caring, she was also so much more. She
killed bad guys, saved people in danger, partied, got drunk, and even
went out and shagged some lucky guy that happened to catch her eye,
all while avoiding entanglements with her estranged family and their
enemies.

"So, what about you, Garrick?" asked Achika as she lounged
languidly against my chest, her head next to Minagi's as she did the
same on my opposite side.

I sighed and plunged ahead. I told her everything there was to know
about me, my dysfunctional family, how I grew up, my watershed
moments... the strange truth is that for all my violent tendencies, I
have a deeply gentle side as well. My mother had told me before that
in my youngest years, I was always such a sweet, gentle, and playful
child. It wasn't until later when I had to integrate into other
social circles that I became moody and combative.

I told her about how my step-father and I never really got along. I
was a dreamer and did my best learning organically. My step-father,
though, was the polar opposite - all discipline and synthetic
learning. Even worse, he envied me for the close relationship I had
with my mother - until I was four, she and I had toughed things out
together and we had bonded on a level few mothers do with their sons.
She and I, we were more than just Mother and Son. We were
confidants, comrades, and co-conspirators. And dad could never get
over how easy it was for me to engage her in something or other.

I told her about how we moved frequently, how hard that made life for
me. I told her about my trials and failures at striking out on my
own and about my first loves. I told her about my time in the US
Navy, how I both excelled and failed in that as well.

And then how I let myself get sucked back into my family's
dysfunction and how it took me four years to break free of it... and
even then it would still haunt me.

As much as I loved my family, they had hurt me so horribly.

I felt my hand being squeezed and I looked down to find Achika giving
me a tearful expression. Minagi herself had positioned herself
against a pile of pillows so she could better judge Achika's
reactions. She knew my history already.

It was then I had an epiphany.

I was, at last, ready to close the door on my old life. For all the
love and sorrow it held for me, for all that it had molded me, I was
ready to let it go, because right then I realized that I had these
beautiful women with me who actually cared.

I was surprised when Achika suddenly came up and gave me a gentle,
probing kiss.

"What are you thinking?" she asked, her tone plainly
curious, but her face a mask of worry.

I reached up and gently caressed her face. "Seeing you, I
realized... it's over now. I can stop being sad about it.
Because... heh... Sasami-chan's wish came true. I have a new family
now. And my family not only wants me to be happy... that want to help me be happy."

Achika smiled, though a bit ruefully. "Funny. I'm used to
having an effect on guys, but this is the first time it's ever been
something that profound."

I gave an amused scoff. "Well, if it helps any, it's not all
that often a woman has that affect on me. Anyhow, now that you've
heard all about me, what do you think now?"

Achika smiled. "I stand by what I said about you before.
You've had it rough, but you've bounced back and got stronger. Even
if it was with help that takes a lot, and I've never heard of anyone
doing that by themselves without becoming damaged goods of some sort.
You're not only strong, but you're lucky, too. And what about me?"

I smiled at Achika. "You remind me of a strong and beautiful
woman I once knew with a lot of fire in her belly and a heart as soft
as they come. She was very loyal to her family and friends and
gladly go down fighting for them."

Achika made a downcast look at that. "I don't know about the
loyal part. I left my family behind and cut ties. This is the first
time I've actually been to Jurai."

"You weren't being disloyal," I told her matter-of-factly.
"You got blindsided by life and you discovered that the person
you were portraying wasn't really you, so you had to go out and find
yourself. Your father certainly knew what he saw and did nothing to
stop you because the same thing happened to him a long time ago."

Achika gave me a stunned look. "Okay, are you somehow related
to Budha? Do I need to rub your stomach for good luck or something?"

Minagi smiled and added her two cents. "Garrick is something
better than that. He's a real person, someone you can actually talk
to and get some straight answers from him. He's very approachable.
In fact, if you kiss him right now he'll kiss you back, because he
likes you already."

I shot a look at the pirate. "Minagi!"

"Oh no you don't!" Suddenly, Achika grabbed my head,
directed it towards her face - which wore a cheerfully determined
expression - and promptly pulled me into a steamy kiss.

And yes, I did kiss back.

Achika broke off for only a moment to look me in the eyes. "I'll
win my place in your heart next to Minagi. You have my word,
Garrick." And with that, she went in again.

---

Eventually, I got Achika to settle down. Minagi simply chuckled at
the sight of her completely knocked out and curled up at my side.

I shot a look at her and she knew exactly what was on my mind.

Minagi smiled back and whispered in my ear, "In some ways, she
is you. So sweet, so gentle, so loving... and she also has fire like
you - an anger that you will only express as true and righteous fury
in the face of injustice. And yet, despite everything it is all a
facade to cover up the frightened little girl she has been ever since
that fateful day Kaine attacked her. And she has never met another
like her... until she met you. In fact, she may have already fallen
in love with you before she met you." Minagi then kissed me
softly. "You had no idea how right you were about her,
Garrick."

I blinked. It suddenly made sense. All the bluster, the tough talk,
combined with the seemingly ambivalent interest in myself... I was
honestly a sucker for these types of girls. The Japanese may fawn
over girls that were outwardly moe. I can see the attraction... but
I like the idea of an inwardly moe girl - of helping someone that
helps themselves only to break down and bawl their eyes out after the
fact. And there's also the inherent attraction in someone that can
keep a bad situation from coming apart at the seems until help can
get there.

"Thanks for bringing that to my attention," I said as I
hugged Minagi with the arm that was already wrapped around her. "It
would have taken me a while to figure that out. How could you tell,
anyhow?"

Minagi grinned at me. "Silly boy. Like I said, she's just like
you."

I sighed and smiled as I looked down at Achika's peacefully sleeping
face, and then snuggled her closer, giving her a kiss on the head.
She murmured something affectionate and continued to sleep.

It would take time to coax her out of her shell, but I would in time.
I could not be direct about it. I can't even hint about it. All I
could do was provide the openness and security she needs to lay her
armor down... and only once she does could I encourage her to be her
true self in the open.

And in the same vein of being true to one's self... The first chance
I got, I would put away all the reminders of my hurt and my pain -
the mementos of the family of my past. The only concession I would
allow would be my books, a photograph of my mother, and nothing more.
That would be all the reminder I needed.

I wouldn't bury my past... but I would permit it to fade into
obscurity. What I had then and there was all that really mattered.

With that matter settled in my mind, one other thing occurred to me.

“Minagi?”

“Hmm?”

“Why is it that I keep getting all these girls that have some sort
of deep and unresolved hurt in their past?”

“I suppose like calls to like,” Minagi replied casually.
“Although it might have more to do with your gentle nature.”

“Maybe,” I mused thoughtfully. No more was said on the matter
and we drifted off to sleep.

---

That morning I was woken up with a rude reminder of what exactly that
hurt little girl was hidden under - suffice to say, protein
milkshakes are now officially dirty talk in the House of Grimm. Of
course, Achika was just trying to get me all wound up, and not simply
in the 'hot and bothered' department. I'd almost call it cute if not
for the perversion factor involved. Minagi found it utterly
hilarious.

As soon as we all made ourselves decent, though, there was a knock at
our door. Upon opening it, I found Funaho standing there, so I
promptly gave her a hug.

"Good morning, mother," I said as she hugged back.

Funaho chuckled as she let go of me. "It is going to take a
while to get used to the fact that I now have another son." Her
expression then took on a surprised look right before she smiled
again. "Achika. I should have known."

I stood aside and Funaho walked in to confront the younger woman, who
was looking a little bit nervous at her prospects.

"Well then, granddaughter... did you enjoy yourself last night?"
she said, not unkindly, but with a certain weight to it. She then
went on, "You're fortunate that I caught on to your antics early
on. If word got out that you spent the night with Garrick then it
would have been scandalous." Her expression then became
somewhat hurt. "I go through all sorts of trouble to make sure
your promiscuity remains tied solely to your alias. And you never
call, never write..."

Achika, however, was having none of that, though. "Grandmother,
please stop grandstanding. Honestly, if I did that as often as I
wanted to then my identity would have been compromised, and then we'd
have to go through all sorts to trouble to make sure that Ayeka never
heard about it."

I blinked, then said, "Well, it's kind of a moot point now that
she's found Yosho, isn't it?"

Funaho nodded. "It is. In fact, we've been looking for a
reason to call you back from active duty. Garrick once again has
proven his worth." Funaho's smile then turned a bit sly. "So,
how did things go between you two last night?"

I smiled and shook my head. In reply, I simply went over to Achika
and, much to her surprise, gave her a hug and a quick kiss in front
of Funaho.

"Heeeehhhhhh?" said Funaho in a pleased tone.

I held Achika's hand in mine as I let her go, her face flushed as I
smiled at her, then Funaho.

"We still need a bit of time, Mother, but for the moment... I'd
say Achika has won her place in my heart."

Funaho beamed at the pronouncement. "Wonderful! Seto will be
so pleased to know..." She then gave us a conspiratorial grin.
"Of course, you do know that's not going to stop her from
foisting even more eligible women onto you, right?"

I grinned. "Bring on the bachelorettes. They won't even know
if I'm coming or going."

---

There you go, folks.  Have fun tearing it apart!

[Bluemage]

...is this what human interaction is supposed to be like?
How confusing. >.>

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

[classicdrogn]

I believe the term you're looking for is actually "yamato nadeshiko"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamato_nadeshiko

Aside from that, nice update, and bonus points for jumping straight into bed because it's a comfy place for talking, not that other thing that ends in -king despite being on offer.

I also have a couple of songs to nominate for OP and ED themes:
OP:
30 stops is a long world walk...
ED:
... but eventually he'll be back.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

[Black Aeronaut]

Bluemage said:

---

...is this what human interaction is supposed to be like?
How confusing. >.>

In my experience, few things are better than just lounging around in bed with your significant other and talking for hours on end with intermittent bouts of kissyface and messing around.

ClassicDrogn said:

---

I believe the term you're looking for is actually "yamato nadeshiko"

Thanks.  I'll go ahead and fix that.
In regards to the music... Hrrrrmmmm.... Sorry to say, but my tastes tend to be a bit edgier...  though no less eclectic.

To give you an idea of what songs I would consider for OP and ED pieces....
Duran Duran - Ordinary World (Single Version) (Aluminum Studios AMV)Nightwish - The IslanderVNV Nation - SolitudeShinedown - Call MeThe Moody Blues - GypsyWithin Temptation - SomewhereKOKIA - Where To Go My Love (English translation of lyrics here)

This is actually a cross section of music I have picked out for Garrick's 'Jump-Day Warning' songs. I'm still trying to piece together exactly how that mechanic is supposed to work, but the basic idea is that when Garrick enters the 24-hour window of an impending jump, he'll get a song of certain meaning stuck in his head - usually something that exemplifies his feelings about leaving behind the world he's in.  So if this music induces heavy duty feels, then mission accomplished.

[classicdrogn]

More than half of those are on my "frequent rotation" play list, so I'd hardly complain.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

[robkelk]

This is a completely different style of music, and it's by somebody you've probably never heard of (unless you know some Canadians who like jazz), but as far as I'm concerned, it's the Garrick/Minagi/Yuki relationship in a nutshell.

Holly Cole, Make It Go Away

--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Bob Schroeck]

In short, Garrick finds that he likes being a teacher and will pursue such occupations in the future where possible.

Heh. Not all that different from Doug. Might be fun to have a brief intersection where they are both staff in a school somewhere, and completely unaware of each other's "dimensional wanderer" status.

...one thing I'd like to see is Garrick having problems speaking Equestrian. Like, he can get most of it, but his mouth/throat can't quite make some of the sounds.

I recall that there was an attempt to teach a chimp to speak English during the 1950s, I think it was. Late enough at least for substantial film documentation of the process and the results. The results were... mixed; one of the details thereof is one that might be of use here -- in order to say some sounds, the chimp had to use its fingers to force its mouth into a shape its facial muscles couldn't make. It might be interesting if Garrick had to do the same for some Equestrian sounds.

Pinging Bob! You can go ahead and lock this thread down now.

Done! And now, after I post this, back to actually read this new thread.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Black Aeronaut]

Bob Schroeck wrote:

---

In short, Garrick finds that he likes being a teacher and will pursue such occupations in the future where possible.

Heh. Not all that different from Doug. Might be fun to have a brief intersection where they are both staff in a school somewhere, and completely unaware of each other's "dimensional wanderer" status.

I don't think it would happen that way.  Garrick, once he decides to move on a bad guy, holds nothing back.  Granted, he'll always hold back an ace when a deuce will do the trick, but you can bet that deuce is gonna be a bit overkill regardless.  And as you've seen, escalation with Garrick gets messy real fast.  In short, Doug is gonna notice someone's making some noise out there, and knowing how curious he is, it won't take him long to find Garrick.

Bob Schroeck wrote:

---

...one thing I'd like to see is Garrick having problems
speaking Equestrian. Like, he can get most of it, but his mouth/throat
can't quite make some of the sounds.

I recall that there was
an attempt to teach a chimp to speak English during the 1950s, I think
it was. Late enough at least for substantial film documentation of the
process and the results. The results were... mixed; one of the details
thereof is one that might be of use here -- in order to say some sounds,
the chimp had to use its fingers to force its mouth into a shape its
facial muscles couldn't make. It might be interesting if Garrick had to
do the same for some Equestrian sounds.

Interesting, though I'll be starting another thread for Garrick's time in Equestria here in a minute.  Less chance of people getting confused.  "Wait a minute, I thought we were talking about humans here!"  :p
Now, more on topic...  Hey-hey-HEEEYYY!  C'mon over and have some fun with CrrRRAAzzZZY TAXI!  Whoops!  Wrong game!  >2:10

As I reached a balcony below I was just beginning to think that I was
safe for the moment... That was, until one of the girls suddenly
slammed into the balcony right in front of me, feet first, and sprung
back up with her arms spread wide and a shit-eating grin on her face.
I half-way expected to see 'Perfect 10!' start flashing over her
head.

“JESUS H. CHRIST!” I yelped in shock. “Are you from planet
Krypton or something!?”

The girl gave me a clueless look – of course she wouldn't get the
reference! Regardless, I used the distraction to get away from her,
vaulting from one terrace to the next, and dashing into the next open
door I found.

>>2:30

I found that I was in what looked like a ballroom. The faint scent
of food cooking caught my nose and I followed it, quickly finding
myself in the kitchens and being eyeballed by the staff.

“Gar-kun! What are you doing here!?” I turned and found
Sasami-chan in her carrot apron and bowl of batter in her hands.

“Grandmother set the bachelorettes on me, Sasami-chan,” I said
with a smile. “Got any cooking oil I can borrow?”

Her face lit up in glee and she darted off, and then quickly returned
with a plastic bottle with a nozzle on the end filled with oil.

“You're the best little sister ever!” I said giving the little
princess a quick hug.

“I know,” Sasami said impishly. I then made a hasty exit because
I hated to bring the chaos that was following me into the kitchens.

I wound up in the foyer to the ballroom when the girls found me again
– this time it seemed that the all the groups had converged
together. Once again, I cheesed it as fast as my legs could carry me
and rounded a corner. Once I did, I turned around and frantically
started spraying the floor with the cooking oil Sasami had given me,
quickly emptying the bottle.

And not a moment too soon as the girls all rounded the corner like a
flock of birds... and almost as one, they all went down in a
squealing, screaming, tangled heap on limbs.

“Looks like you're having fun,” said a voice behind me. I turned
and found Achika giving me a wicked grin. “I like the way you
think, but I have a better method. C'mon, follow me!” And with
that, she grabbed my hand and dragged me over to an anti-gravity lift
that sent us both rocketing upwards.

It left us off at a wide, open platform. A few feet away were some
strange looking rigs. I couldn't quite make out what they were
because they blended in with the leaves around us, but as Achika led
me closer to them I realized that they were hang gliders made with
giant leaves.

“Can you fly one of these?” she asked.

“Never have,” I replied honestly. “Pretty sure I could pick it
up quickly, though.”

“Better get a tandem, then,” she said as she went for a larger
glider. “Hurry up – we want to be airborne before the get up and
and start getting ideas.” With expert hand, Achika quickly
made the glider ready for flight while I watched carefully, mentally
noting everything she did.

>Homestuck - Ecstasy" href="http://homestuck.bandcamp.com/track/ecstasy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">>>Homestuck - Ecstasy

Soon enough, we were ready to launch, perched at the edge of the
platform with the wind tugging at the wings.

Achika looked to me and must have seen that I was a little bit
nervous. “You ready?” she asked.

“Yeah, just some jitters. I'll be good once I get going. On
three?”

Achika smiled and nodded her head. “On three.”

I nodded back, then smiled at her as together we suddenly yelled
“THREE!”

Gravity tried, but it didn't even have a chance. We dropped maybe
half a meter before the updraft caught hold and sent us rocketing
upwards and I whooped from the thrill while Achika laughed
hysterically.

“I honestly thought I had you there!” said Achika mirthfully as
we rose, shifting the bar to the right and causing us to bank left
and keep us in the updraft.

I laughed. “Well, where I come from it's an old but treasured
joke. I figured you might try and get me with it.”

Right then, I couldn't help but notice how close we were. This
tandem's sling didn't have a dividing wall between passenger and
pilot, so it must have been made with couples in mind. Not that I
minded, though. In fact, it was nice to feel the warm softness of
Achika's body alongside mine. With a smile, I let go with the hand
next to her and gently draped it over her shoulder.

Achika gave me a smile. “It'll be hard to control this glider like
this.”

I grinned back at her. “So I guess we'll have to work together
then.”

“But you don't know how,” Achika countered coyly.

“I told you I'm a fast learner,” I retorted. “Just tell me
what to do.”

Achika gave me a challenging look. “This could be a problem... you
know, you being stubborn like this.”

“I know,” I replied as my smile melted into a more gentle one.
“But you also know I'd never go out of my way to hurt anyone that I
love.”

“Do you love me?” asked Achika as she gave me the bedroom eyes.
Before I knew it, she put her arm around me as well and we pulled
each other into a short, but passionate kiss.

“The seed has been planted,” I said as she took a quick glance
around to reorient herself. “Let us be patient and see what grows
from it.”

Achika giggled. “I would never have thought that someone would
have gotten to you with the old love poems already! Who was it?”

“Ayeka, of course,” I replied gamely. “She felt that I should
know about the great romances of Jurai if I was to court a woman of
her homeworld.”

“I should have known,” she replied with a roll of her eyes. She
then gave me a smile. “Well, I'll let you in on a little secret...
despite my tough-girl exterior, I'm really a sucker for romance.
Keep that shit up and I'll be ripping your clothes off in no time.”

I chuckled and gave Achika a squeeze. “I'll keep that in mind,
milady.”

---

Well, I tried to embed the music player for the Band Camp website, but Yuku wasn't having any of it.  :p
Anyhow, now that I'm past that chase scene I am back in business!  Honestly, I wanted to come up with more to better fit the music provided, but I couldn't quite hack it.

[Bluemage]

Misaki was nearly on the verge of tears

Needs a period.
A couple of lines after that, you Tom Swift twice in a row.  Might consider changing it.
As for the content... well, I think you've successfully created a grade-A harem chase scene.  You've also defused a comedic misunderstanding... which might be your problem.  The Law of Conservation of Harem Comedy mandated that that comedy must've gone somewhere... and it went into a crowd of fangirls.
Also the romance.  Expect that to up your misunderstanding quota in the future.

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

[Black Aeronaut]

Oh, don't worry. There's still a misunderstanding on Garrick's part to be had. It'll be revealed in the next bit. *evil grin*
EDIT:  Okay, I've googled and looked around and all I can tell is that Tom Swift is a main character in some of the first American sci-fi books.  Care explaining what you mean?

[ECSNorway]

"What is the meaning of all this!?" he bellowed irately.

"You're majesty, if I may?" I asked politely.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Swifty

A Tom Swifty (or Tom Swiftie) is a phrase in which a quoted sentence is linked by a pun to the manner in which it is attributed. Tom Swifties may be considered a type of wellerism.

--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[Black Aeronaut]

Ahhhh, okay. It took me a moment to figure out exactly what you guys were on about until I noticed that both sentences end with '-ly'. I'll see about fixing that.

[classicdrogn]

I never really understood what's objectionable about that, honestly. It's just adding a tag to give the tone of voice as well as the speaker, and not nearly as intrusive about it as HK-47 or Elcor.
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

[robkelk]

I never really understood what's objectionable about that, honestly. It's just adding a tag to give the tone of voice as well as the speaker, and not nearly as intrusive about it as HK-47 or Elcor.

A proper "Tom Swifty" includes a pun (e.g. "'I love champagne,' she said bubbly" or "'The air's thin up here,' he said breathlessly") - these don't. I have no issue with them.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Bob Schroeck]

Agreed. Having an adverb doesn't make it a "Tom Swifty" -- the lame pun does.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[Black Aeronaut]

Learn something new every day. :p

[Bluemage]

Yeah, fair enough.  It stood out to me, so I thought I'd mention it... even if it's not a proper Swifty.

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

[Black Aeronaut]

Garrick finds he gets a little more than what he bargained for...  But
then, I'm the sort to bounce back from this sort of setback.  After all,
it could be worse - they could all be yanderes!

---

I can say without hesitation that hang gliding with Achika was an
absolute blast. So much so that I resolved to start taking lessons
when we got back to Earth. I was pretty certain that I could get
some amazing ridge lift and mountain wave lift out in Okayama.

Achika and I had landed the glider and we were on our way back into
Tenju, giddy and warm together despite the sharp chill of the outside
air. Suddenly, she darted into a deeply shaded cranny, pulling me in
with her, and then her lips were on mine as she kissed me hungrily,
her breath heavy against my face.

The sheer immediacy of her passion caught me completely off guard and
all I could do was just go with it, holding her firmly to myself as I
kissed her back and waited for her to calm down.

Eventually she pulled away and I got my chance.

“Is something wrong?” I whispered.

“No, not really,” she replied a bit sheepishly. “I really did
want to do that... but it doesn't help that I just saw two of those
girls that were chasing you earlier.”

I smiled at her gently as I cupped the side of her face in one hand.
“I see... looks like this is something I need to nip in the bud
once and for all.”

“Garrick... can't we just stay here like this?”

“They'll find us soon enough,” I countered. “Don't worry,
though. There'll be plenty of time for us after I take care of this.
You have my word, my precious little princess.”

Achika gave me a glare. “That 'princess' thing is a mere
technicality.”

I grinned back at her. “Oh, if I gotta do the whole 'Royal Duty'
thing, then so do you.”

Achika then grinned with saccharine sweetness. “Okay then, duty
boy. Go do your duty.”

And just like that, she shoved me out of the cranny, and I couldn't
help but laugh. Of course, this meant I was spotted by the two
scouts. And soon enough, the rest of the horde was on my tail.

I have to admit, this was exhilarating like nothing else I had ever
experienced. It's one thing to be chased down by the horror-terrors
of the universe out for your blood. It's another to be running from
about three-dozen girls who want you in only the most primal way
imaginable.

Now I know how The Beatles must have felt sometimes as they ran with
grins plastered on their faces from screaming girls.

What's kind of a shame, though, is that I'd feel safe placing good
money on the odds that at least half of these girls would have no
idea what to do with me if they ever got their hands on me. It's
like a dog hounding someone for being too close to their home. If
they ever do get out, all the do is run up to the person and just
keep right on barking. They have no real direction, which is kinda
sad in a ways.

In fact...

I pause for just a moment and get a good look at all the girls
pursuing me.

Just as I thought. Not one of them looks older than eighteen.
Grandmother is certainly a very naughty woman.

It was time to end this. I slapped my C-Pod and called out,
“Two-count Type-1 Goobers!”

They were really called personnel-class restraining plasmoid nanite
colonies. I like to call them goo bombs, or goobers for short. I
cooked up a variety of these things with Washu's help. She cackled
wickedly at some of the ideas I had, like the Type-6 which had
irritant properties similar to poison ivy, or the Type-17 which
dissolves clothing and armor of all types.

The Type-1, though, was the kindest. It merely glued everyone in
it's explosive radius into place with transparent strands of goo. It
wouldn't hurt anyone, although it would hold a person as effectively
as the GP's full body restraint device.

Two grenade-like devices dropped into my hands and I thumbed the
buttons. They began making a series of electronic clicks that sped
up in frequency at a geometric rate. Just before it reached a steady
whine, I turned and threw the two Goobers into the midst of the girls
hunting me.

They never had a chance.

With a pair of concussive pops, a mass of sticky strands shot out
from where the goobers landed and rooted every single girl into
place.

An uproar of feminine shock and surprise died down to ruefulness and
revulsion.

“That's enough, all of you!” I called out and the girls suddenly
fell silent, save for a few isolated whimpers. “I know that you've
all heard stories of me from someone, somewhere. I know that you
must all be unattached and marriageable... and I can definitely tell
that you're all attractive in one style or another.” That last
line got a myriad of reactions all across the emotional spectrum.
“But the thing is, I'm not really looking for anyone else right
now. I already have two wonderful girls that I intend to marry, and
two more that I am closely investigating. I'm sorry... I don't like
hurting anyone... but I'm content with what I have.”

I looked over them all as they all made depressed sounding cries of
regret.

Suddenly, one of them piped up – a young girl with green hair. “I
don't care! I just want to serve under you!”

“Yeah!” cried out an ebony haired woman. “It's so hard to find
a good position in the already established households!”

I blinked and looked out over all the faces once more... they all
looked so hopeful.

“Let me get this straight... you all want to pledge fealty to me
and be invested as my vassals? This has nothing to do with becoming
engaged to me?”

There were a lot of blushes and sheepish looks at that.

“Well... You seem like a really nice guy,” said one particularly
small woman with platinum hair. “There's not enough of those to go
around. But if you're happy with what you have... Then I have no
qualms about swearing fealty to you!”

An uproar of agreements went up at that. Bringing up the tail end of
that, though, was one woman saying, “You never know, he might
change his mind!”

“oooo-kayyeee,” I drawled... “I can see the attraction...
Fine. I'll speak with Lady Seto, but I'm pretty sure she'll go for
it. Fire up your resumes, girls. I want them in the study of my
guest suite after I am instated into House Masaki.”

---

One by one, I set the girls loose, exchanging brief pleasantries with
each one before sending them on their way. Although there were
definitely a few that were memorable.

“Aren't you a little young to be declaring your fealty?” I asked
a platinum-haired, purple-eyed girl that looked no older than
fourteen years old.

“I'm actually forty-five,” said the girl nonchalantly as she
straightened out her clothes. “Don't worry, I'm used to it. It's
a genetic condition triggered by the bond to my tree. My name is
Mimi Tatsuki Jurai.”

I blinked. “You're bonded?”

Mimi nodded. “To a Third-Generation Tree. But just because I have
that doesn't mean anything much in the grand scheme of things. If
I'm gonna get any recognition around here, I gotta bust my chops
working for someone that gets noticed. Someone like you.”

I grinned at the girl. “Okay, I can definitely see that. I'll
look forward to seeing your resume.”

“Sure. Just one more thing.”

“What's that?” I asked.

And without warning, Mimi jumped at me, hooking an arm over my neck,
and pulling herself up to my face to give me the most surprising
french kiss I have ever had at that time in my life. She then
giggled at the shocked look on my face when she dropped back down to
the floor.

“Just because I'm stuck with this body doesn't mean that I'm not a
woman. Believe me, I've had everything looked at. I can definitely
make babies. So don't ever treat me like a kid. Got it?”

“Couldn't be clearer,” I said, still giving her a look of
wide-eyed surprise.

“Great!” she said as she began to walk off, her hips swinging
evocatively as she did so. “See you later, Mr. Grimm.”

I blinked at that, then turned to the other girls I had yet to free.
“Don't get any ideas.”

They all only giggled hysterically.

---

I knocked at the door to Seto's chambers in the Kamiki family branch
of Tenju. I heard a stentorian voice within bid me to enter.

Opening the door, I was greeted by the sight of a large, powerfully
built man bearing a set of 'friendly' mutton chops and moustache.

“Ah!” said the man as he smiled at me. “The elusive Garrick
Grimm of Earth! I am Utsustumi Kamiki Jurai – Seto's husband. I'm
glad to meet you at last, young man. Come in, come in, please! Seto
is away for the moment, and I would like to take what little time we
have alone to talk with you.”

I entered the posh looking suite. It was about the same size as
Ayeka's... which made sense in a ways. While Seto was indeed highly
powerful, Ayeka was very highly ranked as well. Though that would
certainly change once Tenchi finally decides to ascend the throne.
At that point, he'll need an entire branch of Tenju just for his
wives.

Utsutsumi offered me a seat on a couch and I accepted, while he took
a seat in a large armchair.

“Well, I have to admit that I was surprised when Seto told me that
she was taking an Earthman under her wing. Of course, millennia of
knowing her have taught me that she certainly knows what she is
doing. I shouldn't have been surprised. But somehow, you managed to
do so.” The older man then leaned in closer, and said in a very
serious tone, “So what are your intentions here, son?”

That was a very good question, and something that I had been giving
some thought to. Even so, I still had to think about it before I
could answer Utsutsumi.

He was already giving me the 'I am waiting here' look by the time I
spoke up.

“Well, I owe a lot to everyone here. Everyone has done so much for
me... it's a phenomenal debt to be repaid, but I do intend to repay
it.” I then looked Utsutsumi in the eyes. “As soon as Yuki-chan
is old enough, I'll marry her and then move here to Jurai. Then I'll
do whatever it takes to pay back the debt I owe.”

“And how will you pay that debt back, son?” asked Utsutsumi.

“I'll probably serve in the defense forces. I already have my
tree, so having a ship is a foregone conclusion. In fact, I may
already have a staff.”

“Oh?” replied Utsutsumi.

I nodded. “Those girls Seto-sama set after me? Turns out they'll
settle for working under me.”

Utsutsumi burst out laughing. “You do realize that unmarried women
in your employ are automatically your concubines so long as they
consent?”

EPIC DOUBLE FACE-PALM! “Sweet Tsunami, you are not kidding, are
you?”

“Oh dear, no,” replied Utsutsume as he wiped tears of mirth from
his eyes. “Of course, you can always say 'no' to their advances –
that is your right. But so long as they are in your employ, they can
insist on bearing the title of 'Concubine of Lord Grimm'.”

“Argh,” I grumbled. “But why would they do that?”

Utsutsumi shrugged. “Garrick, the Women of Jurai do as they
please. They are capricious creatures given to whims that are beyond
my understanding. Perhaps this is because of our ancestry as pirates
– given our historical records, the behavior of our women has not
changed much since those chaotic days. However, one thing that I can
say for certain... once they fall in love with a man, they tend to
stay in love with him no matter what happens.”

“So, I'm stuck with them.”

“For certain.”

“... I think I need a drink.”

Utsutsumi laughed as he got up and went to pour some drinks for us.
By the time Seto showed up, Utsutsumi was already teaching me several
very bawdy drinking songs exclusively of Juraian origin –
specifically, ones about the gorgeous women of Jurai and how they are
never to be crossed.

---

Within a few minutes of Seto showing up, we settled to business and
soon enough I was duly authorized to take on my retinue. Granted, I
hadn't been adopted quite yet, but I had inherited a title from
Yakage and that gave me the leeway I needed to get started right
away.

Fortunately, I hadn't drank very much. Just enough that I felt...
lubricated. Even so, after dinner a quiet dinner taken with my
adoptive grandparents, I was completely sobered up.

So, imagine my surprise when I went to my suite and found Yume
sitting on my bed...

… completely nude.

“Close the door, Garrick. It is only us tonight.”

I frowned in puzzlement but did so regardless. “Where are the
others?” I asked.

“Minagi felt it would be a good idea for Yuki and Achika to get to
know each other better, so they are staying in Achika's suite
tonight.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And you?”

Yume gave me a small, slightly wicked smile. “It has been
forty-eight hours since Washu gave you that treatment. Tell me,
handsome... how are you feeling?”

I froze where I stood and took stock of myself... and bit my lip in
frustration.

“Aroused,” I admitted grudgingly. “And a bit irked.”

Yume chuckled indulgently. “Yes. It is a hard thing to ignore,
isn't it? But you will live with it. It is not impossible for you
to do. You, as a species, simply forgot how to do so. But you have
the capability within you still. Now, if I ask you to come here to
the bed with me so I can teach you how, will you?”

I sighed as I mulled it over. Washu said Yume is a schemer, not a
liar. So, even if she had every intention of doing as she said she
would... But even so, I needed to learn to deal with this. And if
that meant that I had to take a chance with Yume... Well, I suppose
I have to start trusting her at some point in time.

Without a word, I went to the bed and sat down on the edge.

“Good boy,” Yume said, as in one slow, fluid movement, she
reached over and caressed my face as she straddled my lap, wrapping
her legs around my waist. I can't describe how it felt to smell her
in the state I was in.

“Hmm,” said Yume thoughtfully. “You certainly weren't making
any exaggerations in your choice of words.” I gave her a pained
look but she only grinned back at me. “Don't worry. Just close
your eyes and trust in me. I promise that I am not going to take
advantage of you.”

I sighed deeply and nodded my head, closing my eyes as I did so.

“Good. Now, lay on your back.”

I followed her instruction and Yume shifted with me, unwrapping her
legs and laying herself against my torso.

“I know what I am doing to you,” she said, her voice a seductive
bedroom tone. “I am having you breathe in my essence, thus setting
your blood on fire. You can feel it, can't you? Like molten metal
flowing in your veins, burning with every beat of your pulse – your
heart itself feels like a blast furnace in your chest, pumping pure
fire throughout your body.

“Now... imagine yourself someplace cold. You rest upon a stone in
the midst of a river. There is ice around you, save near the stone
itself, for your heat has melted it away. You must calm your fire,
otherwise, even in this cold place it will consume you.

“So, my own... Breathe in the cold air. Breathe it in slowly,
carefully. Bank your fires and let it cool the furnace in your
heart. And then, once you have taken in all the cold you can,
breathe out again. Slowly release the heat inside you, like steam
from a boiler. Let it go, my own.”

I followed her directions, taking the deep breaths, imagining the
cold air cooling my body from the inside out, and letting the heat go
with each exhalation. Yume helped me by setting the cadence, gently
correcting me as I went, instructing me as to exactly how I should be
breathing, and all the while coloring it all so it fit in with the
imagery she had provided. Eventually, though, she had no more to
say. She simply let me continue the breathing exercise.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, she finally spoke.

“Open your eyes, my own.”

Slowly, my eyes opened almost of their own accord. Yume was looking
down at me with a pleased expression on her face.

“Tell me now, how do you feel?”

“...Better,” I said after a moment, surprised that I actually did
feel a lot better. “I feel... warm. Content. The fire is still
there, but... it's like it calmed down... just hot coals and
embers... How did you learn this?”

Yume smiled as she stroked my face. “It is an ancient meditative
exercise taught to all young females by our shamans. We must first
learn to control our own desires, lest we make a poor choice in a
mate by acting prematurely. Then, we females teach the males once we
are bonded, because until a male is bitten by a female he has no need
of such things.

“There are other things as well, but this is the most important one
– as we have the power to stir the fire within each other, we must
also have the power to calm the fires lest they consume us. And
trust me, there have been times where a pair lets their fires grow
out of control... and they kill each other in the act of mating.

“Finally, understand this, my own. I do not teach you this lightly
– it is a sacred act between mates, and it is symbolic of our
bonding together. Do not speak of it with others unless they come to
you in honest pursuit of truth and knowledge. To do so otherwise is
to sully what I share with you.”

“I understand,” I replied. “I swear I won't ever speak lightly
of this.”

“Thank you, my own,” Yume whispered as she reach up with her face
and began to nibble carefully at my ear.

“What do we do now?” I asked.

Yume paused, then laughed softly. “Silly boy. We do what all
males and females have done together since the beginning of time: we
create our progeny.”

“Yume,” I said, gently stopping her before she could get carried
away. “I understand you want children... I do too... but do you
really want them now? I'll support you if you do, but...”

Yume chuckled again. “I suppose that now is a good time to tell
you.

“Minagi is with child.”

I couldn't say anything. I just kept looking up at Yume's slightly
smug expression – it was so weird that she was smiling like it was
her own accomplishment.

“She really is?” I finally managed to say.

“Washu and I both verified it. She conceived the night before you
arrived on Ryuten.” Yume then nipped my neck affectionately.
“Congratulations, my own. You are going to be a father.”

“Wha... whoah...” I said helplessly. “Wait... why wouldn't
she tell me first?”

“We just found out today,” murmured Yume between kisses. “And
Minagi... asked me to tell you... as a show of solidarity... between
us... as sister-wives.”

“But... I didn't think she would let this would happen so soon...
if the wrong person finds out...”

“Don't worry,” Yume whispered in my ear. “We can slow the
process. No one will be the wiser. So, now my own... you no longer
have any excuse. You are already a father once. Satisfy me and make
yourself a father twice.”

---

Being with Yume that night was an experience like none other. For
one thing, it was remarkable how well our anatomy paralleled –
pretty much everything important was in the right spot. Although,
there were still subtle differences, and it was a learning experience
for us both.

In fact, Yume was learning a lesson as she woke up the next morning.

“Oooohhh...” she moaned.

I sat up right away at the sound and gave Yume a concerned look.
“You alright?”

“I think so,” she grated out. “I just wasn't expecting... so
much! Is it weird to say that I'm hurting and it feels good?”

“I guess this was never covered with you when you were young,” I
said with a smile. Sometimes you never learn about some things until
you come across them yourself. “It's a natural thing. We got
carried away last night and you're a bit bruised down there. So, in
addition to all the other feel-good chemicals your glands have pumped
into your system, you're also getting an extra helping of endorphins
to take the edge off that pain.”

“Wonderful,” grunted Yume as she rolled her eyes. “If this
keeps up between you an me, I'll be a drug addict in no time.” She
looked so adorably petulant that I carefully scooped her up and
planted a kiss on her lips.

“You'll be fine. We'll just have to be careful... and figure out
if this is something you like or hate.”

Yume grunted. “I suppose that a bit of pain is to be expected...
this being my first time.”

I blinked at that. “I guess you're right. I never really thought
of you as a virgin now that you mention it... though I guess it
doesn't apply now.”

Yume gave me a smile that would not have looked out of place if she
were tearing a bloody strip of meat out of a carcass. I guess she
was feeling victorious.

“Well of course not. We don't place such an emphasis on it...
after all, my kind mate for life so there is no real value on
virginity. Although I'm glad that you don't really seem to care
either way.”

I shrugged. “Well... in a way it's kinda fun... You get to show
the other person the... well, if you'll pardon the pun, the in's and
out's of sex.”

“I think I know what you mean,” she said as she slipped carefully
out of my lap and onto the floor. “The look on your face when my
entrapment organ snared you was priceless.”

I sighed at that. “I should have realized you'd be equipped with
something like that when you mentioned you don't ovulate until after
the act.” I have to admit, when it happened images of vagina
dentata flashed through my head for a brief moment.

Yume grimaced as she performed some stretches, undoubtedly having a
few kinked core-muscles.

“Well, at any rate I'll be surprised if it doesn't take.” She
then flashed me a more genuine smile. “Looking forward to it,
papa?”

I smiled at the thought. Children! You honestly have no idea how
much I have wanted my own. Teaching, playing, and roughhousing,
helping them to help themselves, and making sure they grow to become
forces of awesome.

“I can hardly wait,” I replied as I pulled Yume into a hug.
“This family is going to have some absolutely epic kids, isn't it?”

Yume chuckled. “That's exactly why I wanted to join your family,
Garrick.” She then pulled me down and gave me a slow, sensuous
kiss.

“So, what now?” I asked after our lips parted.

“Well,” said Yume in that bedroom voice of hers, “I am going to
find that communal bath and have myself a nice, long soak. You are
gonna go find Minagi and tell her what a wonderful person she is for
bearing your child and worship the ground she walks on like a male
ought to.”

I chuckled at the thought. “Yes ma'am!”

---

Coming up next, the Royal Bureaucracy starts to budge, Washu gives spoilers for whats to come, and the Emperor gets to know his new son.

[robkelk]

They were really called personnel-class restraining plasmoid nanite colonies. I like to call them goo bombs, or goobers for short. I cooked up a variety of these things with Washu's help. She cackled wickedly at some of the ideas I had, like the Type-6 which had irritant properties similar to poison ivy, or the Type-17 which dissolves clothing and armor of all types.

Careful with those Type-17s - you can end up with a broken arm if you use them.

(So, that's one shout-out...)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Black Aeronaut]

Would you honestly expect me not to throw something like that in there with this being an SI?

Garrick will subtype them into 17a and 17b.

One is opaque.... the other....
Let's just say he'll save that for only the most truly deserving.

[Bluemage]

...you're forgetting the Type 17c and 17d.  They're a lot like the -a and -b, but the goo forces its target(s) into specific poses.
(The feature was originally designed to make the user's life easier, by forcing restrained prisoners into easily-transported shapes.  The 17c still does that, I'd assume, but if somebody's worth using a 17b on, why stop there?)

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

[Black Aeronaut]

Not much to say here.  Here's the next part!

---

I made myself presentable and found my way down to the dining hall to
enjoy breakfast with everyone else... and was promptly tackled by
Yuki. It was really impressive, too, since she hit me hard enough to
make me slide a good ten feet backwards on the polished floor.
Everyone else laughed and a few even cheered Yuki on.

“... Miss me much, tiny love?” I asked once my diaphragm started
working again. My body may be reinforced, but a muscle spasm is a
muscle spasm. She was definitely getting stronger now that she was
bonded to Bizen. Thank Tsunami she didn't get all the super-strength
at once!

“Unh,” Yuki replied as she kissed my cheek. “You smell like
Yume,” she whispered in my ear. “That's okay, though. You two
smell good together.”

I blinked at that. Did she just imply that she wanted to try being
with both Yume and I together!?

“Yuki, restraint,” I warned her quietly.

Like a spring-loaded marionette, Yuki snapped upright to the side of
me, wearing a slightly nervous grin.

“It's so nice to see you doing so well this morning, Gar-kun!”
she chirped. It was laying it on a little thick, but I wasn't gonna
call her out on it.

“Same here, tiny love,” I said as I picked myself up. “Let's
get something to eat.”

---

Breakfast was a rousing affair. Pretty much everyone was present,
except for Yume and Seto. Minagi positively radiated and gave me
meaningful smiles, and I'm certain that I did in return. Funaho and
Misaki would catch us at it, and then smile at each other as well,
but otherwise said nothing about it. To put the play on words, mum
was the word on the matter.

Set against this backdrop, we all talked, traded jibes, and laughed
about it all.

More than once, I had to quietly explain a particularly odd
relationship to the Emperor, especially that of Ayeka and Ryoko.
Fortunately, he took it all with good cheer, and why wouldn't he? He
finally had someone that explained these complex interpersonal
dynamics in plain talk.

Finally, though, the table was cleared by the serving staff and an
air of business-like attitude settled over the table.

“Well, now that we're all fed,” said Funaho with a professional
smile in place, “we need to speak about what will be happening over
the next few days. Now, normally we give ourselves more time for
these sorts of affairs, but unfortunately you all have your lives
back on Earth that you need to return to.

“That said, Garrick, as you know your bonding ceremony is tomorrow,
however that is only a small part of tomorrow's activities. First of
all, as a matter of procedure, your tree will need to be relocated
into the Royal Nursery early tomorrow morning. Washu assures me that
she can facilitate proper access to your subspace residence so our
arborists can do their jobs, but I felt better in getting your
permission. Is this fine with you, son?”

“Perfectly fine, Mother,” I replied, smiling.

“Very well then. Additionally, Yuki will be reenacting her bonding
ceremony. While having Ayeka and I witness was good enough for
provisional acceptance, four members of the Royal Household are
needed for full acceptance into the Family. Recent events have
garnered enough interest that even with the short notice, having
enough attendees will not be a problem.

“Once the matter of bonding is settled, both of your trees will be
transplanted into Central Units and you and Yuki will have the rest
of the day to yourselves so you can make sure your trees are properly
synchronized to their respective units.

“That brings us to the second day of festivities. We will hold
your formal introduction to the rest of the Royal Houses. With the
bonding you will be formally adopted into House Masaki and you will
be henceforth known to Jurai as Garrick Masaki Jurai and Yuki Masaki
Jurai.” At this, Funaho's smile became knowing. “I understand
that there are members of House Amake that are still sore over
certain events in the past. They will undoubtedly attempt to slander
you or provoke you into a fight. Do try to keep a cool head, my
son.”

At this, the Emperor himself spoke up. “That would go for all of
you. As you are all considered close friends or family of Garrick,
all of you will be esteemed guests of the Court. Do not rise to
anyone's bait. Seto, Misaki, and Funaho will be making the rounds
and defusing situations that become untenable.”

Funaho nodded a brief bow to her husband, and then went on while
directing an intense look at me.

“Finally, my son, there is the question of your engagements. I
know that there are several women you intend to marry and it would be
best to settle their status before you leave. The day after your
introductions, I would like us to hold your engagement ceremonies.
However, for this to go over well with the rest of the Royal
Household, you must choose a woman of Royal Blood to be engaged to as
your First Wife.

“You need not make your decision now. In fact, I urge you to spend
as much time as possible with Tenyo and Achika... and maybe even
Minaho as well if you can manage her ire.” With that, Funaho cast
a critical look over at Minaho, who fumed at being put on the spot
once more by her grandmother. “I understand that you prefer Achika
at this time, but even so, take some time, son, to make sure this is
a sound decision.”

I nodded to Funaho humbly. “I shall do as you ask of me, mother.”

“Wonderful,” Funaho replied with a glowing smile. “As for all
of you, you have been perfect guests thus far. You are at liberty
until tomorrow morning, though we would appreciate it if you would
all join us for the evening meal at sunset. Now, if you will excuse
us, Misaki, my husband, and I all have business to attend to.”

The three in question stood, but before leaving they all lined up by
me as I stood as well. Funaho gave me a loving hug, and then
whispered in my ear.

“Congratulations, my son.” She then gave me a mischievous grin
as Misaki took her place and we gave each other back-popping hugs.

“Let me know when the shower is,” she whispered in my ear.

I blinked at that, but I didn't have time to ask because I was then
approached by the Emperor, who motioned me closer and closer until we
were well within each others personal space.

He then leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Later I wish to spend
some time with you so I may get to know you. Also, do not think that
I do not know how to read my wives, son. We will do what we can to
keep things quiet... but for now I recommend you spend some time with
Minagi.”

I blinked and gave Azusa a surprised look.

“Thank you, father,” I said quietly.

“Oh, don't thank me yet,” Azusa replied with a grin. “Come the
day your able to leave Earth aside, I will put you to work, son.”

With that, the Emperor and his wives took their leave and a small but
strong hand grabbed a hold of mine and began to drag me.

“C'mon,” said Washu's voice cheerfully. “We got a lot to talk
about!”

---

Minagi followed us and soon enough we were alone together in an
unoccupied suite. Washu pulled a yellow orb from her pocket and then
set it on a coffee table.

“Okay! We should be safe from eavesdroppers now. I take it Yume
told you the good news?”

I looked to Minagi and then swept her off her feet, spinning us
around in merry, dizzying circles as we both whooped joyfully.

“I'll take that as a 'yes',” said Washu dryly with a wry grin on
her face.

“How do you feel, mom?” I asked Minagi as I set her back on her
feet.

“Like I can take on every single pirate guild out there with one
hand tied behind my back!” Minagi cried out jubilantly. “Oh, I
know it's only been a few days but I already feel so wonderful! Like
the whole universe is full of so much hope and promise!”

I laughed happily at her sentiment. “Of course it is! And all
that promise is bundled up right here.” I placed my hand gently
above her pelvis, where her womb would be. Minagi looked down,
smiling as she used her own hands to frame mine over her stomach.

“I wonder when I'll begin to feel it?” she asked.

“It'll be a while,” chimed in Washu. “So, how much do you want
to know?”

I looked to Minagi in askance and she nodded her head.

I then turned to Washu. “Boy or girl?”

“Girl,” replied the super-genius with a smile.

“My first daughter,” I said softly to myself. The idea of having
a daughter has always had a special place in my heart. Not that I
didn't want boys. Boys learn readily enough by the example you set,
and they certainly did need the affection and warmth of their
fathers... but girls take a special effort. Girls need what the boys
get, only even more so. Their hearts are delicate. Even if they can
be made stronger and tempered, they needed a father's love to do it
properly.

“Hair and eyes?” I asked.

“You guys are gonna love this,” said Washu with a grin.
“Dark-blue hair and emerald-green eyes – a perfect mix between
you two!”

“She'll be beautiful!” Minagi whispered. “Oh, Garrick! Should
we decide on a name now?”

“We can go ahead and start making a list of possibilities,” I
said as I thought about it for a moment, dredging through my
relatively recent mastery of the Japanese language to find something
suitable. “What about Hikari to start off with?”

“Sunlight?” said Minagi to herself, mulling it over as she
undoubtedly accessed Hinase's database. “Glimmering, glittering,
sunbeams... It's perfect!” She looked down to her belly once
more, framing the small spot above her pelvis with gentle and loving
fingers. “She will be my treasured light... my Hikari-chan.”

I laughed. “I didn't expect you to run with the first thing I
thought of.”

Minagi smiled at me, then pulled me into a fierce hug. “Don't be
so surprised, Garrick. I'm not.”

“Well anyhow,” I said a bit sheepishly. “How did you know so
soon?”

Minagi smiled. “It's the medical software upgrade Mother provided
me with. It detected a shift in my hormones that indicated that I
had just become pregnant. I went to Mother right away and she
brought in Yume for a second opinion just to be sure.”

I turned to the magenta-haired genius. “Thanks for the help,
Washu-chan. Now the most immediate question is gonna be how we'll
handle this.”

“Oh? What do you mean?” asked Minagi.

“Well, me being unmarried and yet having gotten you pregnant will
undoubtedly raise a ruckus amongst the rest of the Royal Family...
Especially the Amake – they seem to have an ax to grind with the
Masaki.”

Minagi put her hands over her mouth in shock. “Oh dear, I never
thought of that!”

I gave Minagi a wry smile. “Well, not like we can take it back
now. Besides, I went along with it in the first place, so I carry as
much blame as you. Washu-chan, Yume said we may be able to slow the
growth of the fetus. What're you're thoughts?”

Washu hummed thoughtfully. “We could do that. Another option is
to remove the fetus temporarily and keep it in stasis until it's safe
for us to reveal Minagi's pregnancy. As you probably know, Airi did
this when she discovered she was pregnant with Minaho.”

I nodded at that. “We can hold off on the more invasive option
until we know what sort of time frame we're looking at. How do you
feel, Minagi?”

“I'm fine with that,” said Minagi, beaming. “As long as our
Hikari can come into the world at some point, then I'll be happy.”

I snorted. “You know, in addition to the most loving and epic
parents ever, we're also probably going to be the most efficient
parents ever as well.”

“Why's that?” asked Minagi.

Washu chuckled. “Because, Minagi, it usually takes other parents
several months at least to work through everything you two just did
two minutes.”

Minagi blushed at that. “Well... I really do like the sound of
'Hikari'... And I just want things to go smoothly.”

I smiled and gave Minagi a hug and a kiss. “I understand,
Minagi... just don't feel like you need to do everything I say just
to make things go smooth. I value your opinion.”

“I know,” Minagi sighed as she squeezed me back. “And I love
you for caring so much about me.”

Washu sighed. “As happy as I am to see you two like this, I should
probably let you be now. You know, so you two can show each other
exactly how much you love each other.” Washu's smile then became
impish. “I'll just pick this privacy device up later.”

---

Minagi and I spent the rest of the morning together in that suite,
cuddling, making out, making love, and talking about things to come
in general. One thing we decided on fairly quickly was that we would
set no undue expectations own our little girl – our only real
concern was that she was happy. Although, I did admit that I hoped
that Hikari would go out of her way to become an exceptional force of
awesome.

Minagi, in return, confided that with someone like me for a father,
Hikari would make being awesome look effortless.

As much as I hated to do so, though, I had to go and do things.

“Don't go yet,” said Minagi fretfully as she grabbed my hand.
“Please... stay just a little longer?”

I sighed and I pulled her into a hug. “I want to stay as well,
love. But I made some promises and I need to keep them. And I don't
want to break my word.”

Minagi looked downcast. “Is your word more important than staying
here with me?”

That caught me off guard. I never expected Minagi, of all people, to
come at me with something like that.

“Minagi, my word is very important. If I treat it so lightly with
people like the Emperor, then how do you think I would wind up
treating it with our children?”

Minagi gave me a surprised look. “But you'd never do that!”

“And I never will. So you must understand that I have no intention
to start with a very powerful man who is willing to call me his son.”

Minagi sighed. “I understand. I just wish you didn't have to go.”

I gave Minagi another hug. “I know. If it helps, I don't want to
go either.”

“I know,” sighed Minagi.

I thought for a moment about how I could make this easier on her.
“Does Yuki know yet?”

Minagi pulled away from me with a mildly surprised expression on her
face. “No, we never told her. Do you think that's safe?”

“The Emperor and the Queens know. And the only person I can see
her telling is Sasami... and then Sasami will tell her sister... and
Ayeka would know the importance of keeping this under wraps.”

Minagi nodded. “Okay then. I'll tell Yuki all about it.” She
then smiled. “She's going to love this, isn't she?”

I smiled back at Minagi. “She always said she wanted a big
family.”

She nodded once more in agreement. “As long as I'm around, Yuki
will never be lonely again.”

---

After I left, I was soon found by a messenger and brought to the
Emperor's Chambers off the Throne Room where he was having his midday
tea.

“Ah, Garrick,” said Emperor Asuza pleasantly. “Come in and
have a seat.”

I did as asked an a young girl in servant's clothes brought out a tea
cup and poured the tea for me, leaving it on the coffee table in
front of me.

“Thank you,” I said politely to the girl, who blushed.

Azusa smiled mildly. “You may leave us, Annette.” Without
protest, the servant girl bowed and left.

“You've caused quite a ruckus the other day,” said Asuza once he
was sure we were alone. “Many of the available young women going
after you, regardless of boundaries or decorum. I was surprised they
even went as far as breaking into the throne room during a private
court.”

“I hope that I didn't upset anyone too badly,” I said as I tried
the tea. I have no idea what it was, but it was vaguely sweet and
tart.

“Just some of their parents,” Azusa said with a smile. “Really,
they were more embarrassed by the actions of their daughters than
anything else. I hope that you don't mind, but I had their resumes
sent to my desk so I can review them myself before we went over them
together. No offense, my son, but you are new at this.”

I blinked at that, then nodded amiably. “Thank you, really. I'm
glad to have help from someone with experience in these matters.”

Azusa smiled as he pulled out a thick portfolio. “Honestly, you're
rather fortunate. These days there's no shortage of competent
staffers available. The higher nobility have taken on what they can
so these people don't have to resort to menial livings to get by, but
even so there are only so many they can comfortably afford.

“So, before we talk about who you bring into your retinue, let's
talk about how much you can actually afford.”

The first thing we dove into was my land holdings left by Yakage.
Surprise surprise, I had the planet Abason, home of the infamous
Doudos.

Abason is a rugged, rocky, geologically young world not unlike Earth
in the early Cretaceous period. Abason was two-thirds covered in
water, but really had far less volume in water than Earth. The
difference was that Abason's water was composed of a myriad of
oceanic and freshwater lakes. Not many of them were much larger than
Lake Superior or Lake Baikal. Even so, the steady volcanic activity
and profusion of water made sure that Abason, despite being on the
outer edge of its primary's 'Goldilocks Zone', is a verdant
rainforest planet.

Abason has always been a place for tourists. Few people actually
live there, and the main reason is the doudo. Initially, Abason had
a colonization period where people enchanted with the idea of a
isolated forest world flocked. They could hardly care less about the
doudo, they simply killed them where they showed up.

But then, the Galaxy Alliance stepped in, labeling the doudo as an
endangered species. Caught between the vicious woodland giant and
the Galaxy Alliance, many of the colonists left. A few remained,
maintaining small homesteads or even some tourist resorts. A few
even facilitated poaching of the doudo for their luxurious pelts and
they persist as a thorn in the sides of the Juraians and the Galaxy
Alliance.

Regardless, there was some revenue generated by the taxes on Abason,
which all went to Yakage's account. Once all the upkeep was handled
and the tithe to the Empire paid, it still left me with a substantial
income. That, plus the stipend I would receive as being the
Emperor's son, left me with a good cash flow to draw from.

Next came the resumes. All of the girls were qualified as
bodyguards, having been trained under Misaki's school for bodyguards.
The few that were bonded to trees, all of them Third Generation,
were trained in the Imperial Navy. I would learn more about how that
worked later once I underwent my own Naval indoctrination, but it
sounded like they were part of some reservist unit.

There were a good number of girls trained in various other fields –
gardeners, culinary artists, nannies, musicians, armorers,
maintenance technicians, and even engineers and artisans. It really
was a mixed bag, and I had enough income to have them all as a part
of my household.

Azusa gave me a knowing smile. “It seems you will have to build
yourself a manor house when you get home, son.”

“Probably more like a housing complex. Though I may be able to get
away with using my C-Space... but then it will raise some eyebrows
for the townspeople to see that many strangers coming and going from
Tenchi's house.” I sighed. “It doesn't matter how you slice it,
it's still bologna.”

“Perhaps you can have them stay on your ship then,” suggested the
Emperor. “Once your tree is fitted to a central unit, you'll have
all the space you need for your retinue. That should give your the
leeway you need to arrange for their housing on Earth without
arousing too much suspicion.”

“I guess that will work,” I said. “Really, it'll cause a bit
of trouble for there to be so many people moving into the area at
once, but I guess it can't be helped. I'll still have to come up
with something to put the mundanes at ease... maybe I can just say
I'm starting my own business and the new people are my workers.”

“That would probably work,” Azusa replied with a nod of his head.
“The locals will probably appreciate the business you'll be
bringing them.”

“The only concern that leaves me is going to be how they'll deal
with the fact that I'm fathering children from different women.
Culturally speaking, in Japan it is fine to have a 'pillow woman' in
addition to your wife so long as her services are paid for. But
children are another matter altogether. If you're not married, then
the bond between father and child is not recognized. So the locals
might think it strange that I associate so closely with not just the
children of my First Wife, but all the others as well. And I don't
want people to bully my children.”

“I understand how you feel,” the Emperor said heavily. “I
myself worry a great deal over my daughters. Yosho, I at least know
he can care for himself. But Ayeka and Sasami... they can be
terribly naïve at times. Sometimes I worry that maybe I have not
done enough as a father.”

I smiled a bit. Sometimes it's easy to forget that this imposing
figure of a man is a father who is very much smitten with his
daughters.

I shrugged. “Honestly, I think you've done alright. I mean, sure,
you've been a little distant but that just comes with the territory.
You're certainly not as bad as my step-father. He was a smart man
alright, and every bit the self-made man at that... but when it came
to interpersonal relationships he had no idea what he was doing. I
just didn't notice until I was about sixteen and realized that
looking him in the face whenever he lectured me, just like he would
always demand of me, only pissed him off even more. I got thrown
into more than one wall just for that.”

Azusa gave me an astonished look. “How can you miss anything like
that?”

“I don't,” I replied flatly. “It made me stronger by breaking
my heart, but that doesn't mean I miss it one bit. The only things I
do miss are the love of my birth-mother and the humor of my siblings.
And those I'd already lost before coming here, regardless – it
just made it that much more complete.”

“And what of your children-to-come?”

“I'll never be my step-father, that's for certain. All I ever want
is to love my own and to be able to teach them how to avoid getting
hurt by making bad choices. I know they'll make a few. I certainly
did... but unlike me, they'll have someone understanding to turn to.
Of course, they'll still have to face the consequences, but I'm not
going to beat them up for it... emotionally or otherwise.

“Really though... there is one man I really want to be like with
regards to raising children. That would be my mother's maternal
grandfather. He was a sweet and loving person. So much that his
children knew the moment they crossed the line with him. All he
would need to do was give them this look of disappointment... and
they knew they'd let him down.

“I never really got the chance to know him, but he left a mark on
me. My first scar – here on my left ear. It was an accident, of
course. Before it happened, we had a long-standing family tradition
that he gave all the boys their first haircuts when they turned one
year old. The poor old man wept inconsolably when his scissors
slipped and cut my ear. He never cut anyone's hair after that and he
passed away about a year later.”

The Emperor rose and I felt his hand rest heavily and comfortingly on
my shoulder. “If this is how you feel about having children of
your own, then I believe I could not ask a better man to be my son.”

I looked up to Azusa and saw he was smiling down at me. “Thank
you... father.”

---

The end is in sight...

[Bluemage]

Looks like we all took this week off.  Sorry for the lack of comments.
So Garrick's tree is supposed to be relocated out of C-Space?  CROSSOVER IMMINENT.
Are you trying to pack as many feels in before that point as possible?  You're doing a pretty good job. ^_^

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.

[Black Aeronaut]

Yeah, I was trying not to say anything about it. The regulars all taking off on a Thursday struck me as being odd enough that I started asking if there was some sort of holiday I missed.

And yes, I am trying to pack in the feels. That way it'll hurt all the more when I go and tear them out. Bringing things to a crescendo seemed to be the way to go. Garrick will be the man that had everything firmly in his grasp... only for it all to be ripped away.

Also, just so you guys know I've finished the writing for the Tenchi Muyo step. After I consult with some bronies, I'll begin writing the MLP:FiM step in earnest.

Finally, I'm considering uploading BYiS to Google Docs so the rest of the forumites can go and pick it apart in detail - spelling/grammar, continuity errors, bad references, etc. If I do, would you folks help me out?

[Bluemage]

I'd be willing.
Also, what is this 'holiday' thing you speak of?  I's confuzzled. O.o

---

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.

I've been writing a bit.